E-texts will no longer be a part of tuition costs for Algonquin students, according to an email sent out by Senior Vice President Academic Claude Brulé on Dec. 5.
The decision comes after the college’s academic council conducted research on the use of e-texts within the school. The current eText method will end in September of 2019.
Currently, all students within designated e-texts programs must pay for the content as part of their compulsory ancillary fees. Students who want to seek out cheaper options for their e-texts are unable to opt out of the compulsory fees.
This new change will remove e-texts from the ancillary costs, meaning students have the choice to explore different alternatives to try and find a cheaper option.
“They’ve moved away from the institutional pay model for e-texts,” said Duane McNair, vice-president of finance and administration. “The Students’ Association have been advocating for a change – I think there has been some faculty as well – but it’s primarily the students who we’re responding to.”
The college’s course material services will be re-evaluating the process of acquiring products, a process that they anticipate will be completed by March 31, 2019.
“Rather than a mandatory directive to an e-texts resource, they’d like to go back to a model where there is some choice. In general, the students would like more choice.”